Owing, however, to the total absence of atmosphere radiation would very rapidly cool the surface, but afterwards more slowly, both on account of the action of Stefan's law and because the heat stored up in the deeper portions could be carried to the surface by conduction only, and with extreme slowness.
_Very's Researches on the Moon's Heat._ The results of the eclipse observations are supported by the detailed examination of the surface-temperature of the moon by Mr.Very in his _Prize Essay on the Distribution of the Moon's Heat_ (published by the Utrecht Society of Arts and Sciences in 1891).

He shows, by a diagram of the 'Phase-curve,' that at the commencement of the Lunar day the surface just within the illuminated limb has acquired about 1/7 of its maximum temperature, or about 70 deg.

F.abs.As the surface exposed to the Bolometer at each observation is about 1/30 of the moon's surface, and in order to ensure accuracy the instrument has to be directed to a spot lying wholly within the edge of the moon, it is evident that the surface measured has already been for several hours exposed to oblique sunshine.
The curve of temperature then rises gradually and afterwards more rapidly, till it attains its maximum (of about +30 to 40 deg.

F.) a few hours _before_ noon.

This, Mr.Very thinks, is due to the fact that the half of the moon's face first illuminated for us has, on the average, a darker surface than that of the afternoon, or second quarter, during which the curve descends not quite so rapidly, the temperature near sunset being only a little higher than that near sunrise.